It is highly desirable to miniaturize a mass spectrometer for both space and terrestrial applications. This enables the instrument to be brought into the field environment for making measurements. The largest and heaviest part of a sector-type mass spectrometer is often the magnet. The magnet carries out a function in separating the ions.
The present system teaches a highly miniaturized mass spectrometer including a highly miniaturized magnet made of a new magnetic material and a temperature-sensitive magnetic shunt that compensates for the variation of magnetic field with temperature.
According to the present system, a special magnetic shunt is used which adjusts the magnetic properties of the main magnet. That magnetic shunt has opposite temperature characteristics to the temperature characteristics of the material used for the main magnet. As such, it compensates the main magnet for temperature variations. Effectively, therefore, this enables use of materials which have a very large temperature dependance.